Off The Beaten Path – Cafe Cimino, Sutton, WV

Who would have ever thought a place like Café Cimino could be found in the little town of Sutton, West Virginia? I had heard a lot of hype about this place and finally had an opportunity to dine there at the end of a day on the nearby Sutton Lake with friends.

We arrived as the kitchen was closing, but the owners, Tim and Melody Urbanic, told us to order whatever we liked off the menu. We appreciated the accommodation they made for us late-comers. We chatted with them as they strolled through the lower level outdoor dining patio. We asked questions about the cheeses that were included on the appetizer cheese plate. One in particular that intrigued me tasted like it was infused with fruit. Indeed it was, blueberries, in fact. The goat cheese was locally made and the sharp cheddar was wonderful.

Aside from the cheese plate, we also enjoyed a smoked trout. Delish. The smoky flavor and the flaky texture of the fish kept me coming back for “just one more bite”. We were also served bread with a flavored olive oil dip, swimming with flakes of various herbs and spices. (It goes without saying, we also ordered a bottle of red wine.)

I was so glad that I could order something off the dinner menu because the appetizer course had really peaked my taste buds and I was anxious to savor other creations from this kitchen. The server recommended the chicken with prosciutto, served alongside penne pasta coated with a Marsala cream sauce. I love Marsala and I love cream sauce so the combination seemed heavenly. At a chain restaurant I would have been disappointed about the portion size, but for $21 I was satisfied here. Maybe it was the little white lights along the roofline of the patio, the quiet sounds of the river just behind us, or all the wine I had “tasted” at the party earlier that day.

My friend ordered the Tuna With Gorganzola. I probably would not order tuna on my own accord. Let me change that: I probably would not have ordered tuna on my own accord BEFORE I tasted this tuna. Now I am looking forward to my next delectable experience with this newly-discovered friend from the sea. That tuna would literally melt in your mouth. I know you hear people say that from time to time and it’s just a figure of speech. But seriously, I wanted to taste it as long as possible and it melted right there on my tongue. My chicken was good, great, in fact….but this tuna. Words cannot describe…..

It wasn’t until I returned home and googled for their website that I learned Chef Tim has received many accolades for his culinary efforts, including Top 10 Restaurant in West Virginia and features in Gourmet and Food & Wine magazines. I pasted photos from their website onto this post, but I swear – the food REALLY looks like that when they serve it to you. Really.

I cannot give a proper rating on this fine restaurant (and bed & breakfast, I might add) due to the over-consumption of wine that day on my part. Lucky for me, that means I’ll have to go back for the sake of this blog, if I even need an excuse. I will leave it at this: I had a fantastic experience at Café Cimino and would highly recommend you visit these nice folks, even if it means driving an hour from Charleston. Make a day of it – it’s worth the $4/gallon for gas.

4 responses to “Off The Beaten Path – Cafe Cimino, Sutton, WV”

Well I have to say that what morsels I tried this particular Saturday Evening were awsome… the trout especially. The bread was awsome too, and helped soak up some of the OVER endulgent wine (and then some) I consumed earlier that day.

The atmosphere was great, this whole little joint is great…

Well excuse me now while I go rub some Melaluca foot lotion on my feet.

I had the great fortune of visiting Cafe Cimino for the first time last night with my colleague, Tricia. We were scouting the location for an upcoming business dinner and we couldn’t have been more impressed. What a treasure this place is, tucked along the banks of the Elk River. The atmosphere is impeccable and the food is its equal. I had the shrimp gorgonzola. A cornmeal encrusted shrimp and spinach concoction resting on a bed of linquine and gorgonzola cream sauce. Absolute heaven! And the scrumptuous homegrown greens in the salad confirmed to me just how bad the salads at SoHo’s really are.

My husband and I ate at Cafe Cimino’s last night and we were really impressed. We started with one of the appetizer specials, the antipasto plate ($27), which included a chunk of blue cheese, a roasted red pepper with goat cheese, a caprese salad (fresh moz. and tomatoes), assorted olives, salami, smoked trout, three colors of beets, a boiled egg, and toasted bread with an herb mixture spread on it. It was delicious and could have been a meal on its own. I had the Chicken San Marino ($23) with asparagus and steamed vegetables instead of pasta. My husband had the shrimp scampi ($26). Both entrees were wonderful. We then shared a sticky toffee pudding for dessert, one of about seven homemade desserts. It too, was wonderful. I could have eaten a trough of the toffee sauce.

My wife and I stayed in the carriage house a couple of weeks ago. Very nice! This is the best food i have ever eaten in WV. Everyone needs to go here and get the seafood pescatore. It was better seafood then anything I had at the beach. My wife got the filet. It was also amazing. The next morning Chef Tim made a frittata and palaenta that was to die for. Eat here ASAP if you haven’t already!